


Serendipity

by April__flower



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:35:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23173282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/April__flower/pseuds/April__flower
Summary: Under the moon glow, in a town frozen in time, Minseok learns to see.After all, he just needed an artist to guide him home.
Relationships: Kim Jongdae | Chen/Kim Minseok | Xiumin
Comments: 7
Kudos: 35
Collections: SnowSpark Fest Round One





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: 42
> 
> I just want to say that I'm very thankful to my betas, because they are amazing! So thank you!  
> And I hope you all enjoy this story because I couldn't wait to share it with everyone!
> 
> Thank you and be safe!

**_18:27_ **

**_Three hours._ **

It had been three hours since the boy had come into the coffee shop. Three hours since Jongdae had noticed his cat-like eyes, eyes that bothered him to the point of needing to paint them, to have the chance to really look at them.

He didn’t know the guy sitting alone at the table next to him and that was the problem. He didn’t know him! How the hell didn’t he know him when he worked at the only coffee shop in town? How didn’t he know him when he was sure he knew every face in town? Not that that was a very hard thing to do– it was a very small town after all. He met everyone, served everyone, and drew everyone– but not this boy… Somehow, though, this boy was still familiar to him yet not familiar enough for him to know his name.

“Chen!” Junmyeon called, hitting him with a menu on the head, “would you stop being a creep and staring at that guy?”

“Sorry, do I know you, grandpa?” Jongdae asked without taking his eyes off the boy. 

“Show some respect, I’m still your boss.”

“And today is my day off so I’m not getting paid to talk to you.” Jongdae gave him his best smirk, knowing very well that he was about to win their ‘fight’. Suho would give up in a few seconds.  


That was probably his luck. His boss had been blessed with amazing patience that has saved Jongdae and all his co-workers from being fired many times. He always likes to think it’s because he’s adorable that Junmyeon always gives in but in reality, Junmyeon is just a saint who knew damn well how much the young artist really needed his job. Firing him was never an option for his boss.

“Seriously though, shouldn’t you be painting? You have a project due tomorrow,” he reminded Jongdae. However, he didn’t listen, too busy making his way to the counter, “Chen!”

“What are you doing?” Chanyeol asked when his friend took the apron from his waist.

“Take a fifteen-minute break. You deserve it and Baek probably misses you.”

“No! Don’t you dare take a break!” Junmyeon warned Chanyeol but the redhead had already ran into the break room before his boss could catch him. “You two really want to see me die at 35,” he sighed and shook his head.

“Never, we need to have someone to bother,” he smiled and looked at the boy’s table.

“Chen, don’t you dare…” He scolded as he noticed the mischief in the younger’s gaze.

“What? I’m going to serve our client. It’s a pity to see such a handsome man alone in a coffee shop.”

“Jongdae,” he stopped upon hearing Junmyeon use his real name. That was not a good sign, “I’m serious. Go talk to him if you must but don’t cross the line.”

Him? Crossing the line? He has never– well, maybe once. Okay. Maybe more than once. But he never wanted to hurt anyone, he was just too honest, and maybe a little too upfront about what he’s thinking. But could anyone blame him? It was just a consequence of his vocation. He likes seeing everyone’s colours, their true colours: the vivid reds of the daring ones, the greens of the seekers that look for a better world. And to do that he had to cross some lines sometimes. There were so many colours, so many layers; but he knew deep down, right in the centre of their soul, that everyone had only one colour that expresses their true self.

In his eyes, life had a lightness. Humans were like flowers, each one with a colour and a meaning; each one unique. And if someone wanted to call him rude or cold for wanting to see those flowers, so be it. He would stick with what he believes in.

Jongdae took a moment and smiled at his boss without saying anything. He liked Junmyeon. His boss was always a beautiful aqua green.  _ He is a perfect freesia, _ he thought with a small smile. Just like a freesia, he had an aura of purity, friendship, and tranquillity. An aura that almost made Jongdae give up and go back to his table but he just couldn’t. The stranger was pulling him in like a magnet.

  
“Good evening," Jongdae greeted with a smile and set down a cup of coffee," it's on the house." The boy didn’t smile at him, instead Jongdae could swear he looked even angrier. 

“What brings you here? I’ve never seen you before,” the boy rolled his eyes, ignoring Jongdae and trying the coffee instead. Only to recoil within seconds.

“God,” he sputtered, “ That is disgusting! Is that even coffee?” He asked, eyeing the cup with suspicion.

“I never said the coffee was good, only that it was free,” he laughed, “I’m Jongdae, by the way. Though everyone in town calls me Chen but you, kitty, can call me whatever you’d like.”

“I must really be cursed,” the boy grumbled, rolling his eyes. This had to be the bottom of the barrel for him, “first, I’m dragged to the end of the fucking world just to be stood up, wait for three fucking hours before they cancel on me, and now this! A not-very-funny waiter who is trying to kill me with something that looks like coffee and is hitting on me at the same time.” He crossed his arms looking at Jongdae with the most adorable frown he had ever seen.

“You should be happy, I don’t give up my day off just for anyone,” Jongdae tells him with a smirk, “so that’s what happened? Someone stood you up. That, in my opinion, is their loss, not yours.”

“Are you done? I’m angry okay? And so not in the mood for,” he gestured between the both of them, “whatever this is. I just wasted my day off– and those are very rare just so you know– so I have the right to be mad.”

Jongdae didn’t answer, just looking at the boy with a small smile. Purple, like a campanula. That was this boy’s colour at the moment. A beautiful colour with an even more beautiful flower but with a sad meaning. Submission and hurt were everything he saw in his tired and cold eyes, that made him more sad than curious. This handsome boy had just accepted that his day was lost.

_ This isn’t his colour… _ He told himself. He refused to believe that purple was the colour at his centre. He refused to paint anymore purple flowers, especially those connected to this boy who had captured his attention for three hours without even saying a single word.

“Well, today is your lucky day. We’ll make a trade! I will make you love life for tonight and you,” he paused for added effect, “you, my lovely kitty, just need to show me your colours.” Jongdae finished with a smile. Maybe he sounded crazy but something told him that crazy was exactly what this boy wanted.

“Okay?” wariness present in his tone, “could someone please call the police? I think he’s harassing me,” the boy called, looking around. He was sure that there was someone else in the room a few minutes ago.

“Woah! Easy there, boy! Not like that… I just want to show you that some things in this ‘end of the world’ can be fun, I promise. And you don’t even need to tell me your real name. Just choose one and we’ll go with it.” Jongdae promised, offering him his hand.

The boy looked at the offered hand for a moment. He had promised his team that he would have five seconds of courage and something in him told him to trust this waiter. One night spent not being himself– or maybe truly being himself for one night– that sounded perfect to him. One night without Xiumin, without a timeline, without screaming fans or flashing cameras. One night of being himself again.

“Minseok,” he said, looking into Jongdae’s eyes, “call me Minseok.”

**_19:13_ **

**** Minseok was genuinely confused. God had given him a very good chance to run and to forget about the crazy waiter when he asked Minseok to meet him in an hour in front of the coffee shop, so why was he waiting?

_ Well, I gave him a name… _ he thought, while looking at the now empty street. 

Everyone who knew him knew that he was not an impulsive person and a liar was the last thing he wanted to be. He took the challenge and now he wouldn’t go back on his word, especially since he could hear the noises of the employees closing the cafe. Laughter‒ loud, joyful laughter, something he hadn’t really experienced in his life over the past few years. Why? That was a good question. Part of him believed that he was the one to blame. He lived his dream life every day but somehow he was still miserable at the end of the day. It fed his sadness, made it grow strong and beautiful, some said. The cold-hearted prince, they called him. But how cold-hearted could he really be if all he longed for was to feel alive and real? 

So, if this boy – this oh-so strange boy – could really make him feel anything other than sadness, he would take his chances.

“Good to see that you are still here,” the boy gave him a cat-like smile before handing him a helmet.  _ What..? “ _ Don’t give me that look, a bike is the easiest way around town. Too many tight streets…” The unnamed waiter trailed off while Minseok took the helmet from him.

Jongdae couldn’t stop himself from smiling as he watched the grumpy little kitten put on the helmet cautiously, looking at it like it was some type of trap. Truly, his reactions to everything were fascinating in Jongdae’s eyes but at the same time so damn familiar. It made his mind travel briefly to a time that could easily be another lifetime, one that he doesn’t want to remember.

“Now, remember to hold tight and don’t worry, I really don’t mind,” Jongdae teased, climbing onto his bike.

“I think I’ll hold on to your neck instead.”

“Kinky, I like it.”

“Do you ever just shut up?”

“Not really. But for real, you will like the view. The city lights are beautiful by this time of the day. They give this god-forsaken place a new life, if you really look, ” he promised, starting the engine. 

For once, Minseok didn’t say anything, too busy doing exactly what Jongdae had told him to do. And he was right, the lights were beautiful.

The pinks, the yellows, the oranges; they gave life to the ancient and crumbling buildings that made up the old, forgotten side of the city. They made them shine and made Minseok wonder what they once would have looked like, how many days they had lived through, and how many more they had until someone decided to tear them down. For the first time, Minseok saw something more than just the buildings; he saw in them their history, the generations that lived in them, and the people that had walked through them even if it was just for a second. He didn’t know if it was a result of his tired mind, the adrenaline of the trip, the artist with him, or the beautiful colours of the city themselves but he held Jongdae a bit tighter for a moment, allowing his mind to stop, and his head to rest on the back of the artist in front of him, even if his eyes were busy taking in the view in front of him. 

Jongdae smiled to himself, feeling the other’s fingers grip his shirt like a lifeline.

_ I know this is a little scary, _ he thought to himself.  _ stopping and feeling after living life on the fast lane really is scary, little lily of the valley‒ but it is so beautiful. _

Jongdae, better than anyone, would know the feeling of stopping after spending his whole life running. He ran for so long, hiding from demons and voices, only to fall into the hands of even worse forces. Those that haunt his dreams, turning them blank and noiseless. No colour, no music, no faces. Just him and his own madness and ego, tempting him to break and go back to his old life. But he would never _ ‒ _ he owns his madness now. Being labelled as crazy had given him a voice and safety. It also gave him loneliness as a man that would never be understood. But now, something in the way he was being held told him that maybe he would soon be proved wrong. 

He could see through the rear-view mirror the way Minseok’s eyes were lost in the horizon. The wonder and purity in them, just like a white lily of the valley…  _ Maybe that was his first mistake that day _ , the single second that he stopped and looked made his heart skip a beat for the boy. And then he understood how funny life could be, for in a second, he knew he would spend years painting traits of this boy in his work. 

******_19:53_ **

****_This is a prank.  
_

Minseok was fricking sure of that. This boy couldn’t possibly think he would stay in a place like this, much less eat whatever they serve there. There wasn’t a board or a sign with the menu and the state of the building was making him wonder when the last time was that an inspection had been done on the restaurant. He wasn’t even sure if this place could be called a restaurant.

“This is a local pizzeria,” Jongdae explained while leaving the helmets on a chair next to him, “you will love it, it’s the best!”

“It doesn’t look like it but honestly?” Minseok just sounded defeated already, “if your coffee didn’t kill me, nothing will. At least not today.”

“That’s ri- Hey! My coffee is not that bad,” Jongdae whined, stopping only to make their order, “so… the trip here? Was it bad?”

“No. Actually, it was rather fun.” Minseok smiled looking at the brunet. “Is this finally when you tell me more about yourself?”

“You can just ask if I’m single.” Jongdae gave him his best smirk but the way Minseok arched his eyebrow made him surrender quickly. “Let’s play a game, okay? One of us will ask a question and the other will answer. I want to know more about you too, ‘Minseok’.”

“Nice, I’ll start. Are you from this area?”

“Nope. Are you having fun?”

“I’m starting to.”

They exchanged questions back and forth, each learning a new thing about the other. Minseok learned that the waiter was an art student, someone who enjoys the colours of the world. A real free spirit that didn't lost himself in the material things and he could see it - the spark in his eyes, a true cocktail for love, hope and kindness. So light that made Minseok wonder how much of a burden that lightness could be. After all, free souls had a tendency to free fall from the greatness of their dreams.

Minutes became hours in that small pizzeria and Minseok really would be lying if he said he wasn’t fascinated by the art student sitting across from him. His mind was so mesmerizing. A rough diamond that life still couldn’t cut and shape to its will. He went against it and instead had decided to make it his life mission to colour the lives of those who lived in the dark. For the first time in years, he drank a little too much, laughed until his cheeks were sore at the stories they shared and the answers the artist gave him. 

“Wait, are you fucking with me? You’re 28 years old? No way, I would say you’re 23 at most. On a bad day.”

“I know. I’ve been cursed with good looks and a baby face.” Minseok laughed for a second. “When did it start?” 

“What exactly?”

“The colours.”

“This became serious, I see…” He sighed, looking at Minseok’s eyes. 

“I’ll tell you. But it is a secret. You can’t tell anyone else, I already told you I’m not from here.” He took a deep breath and continued. “The colours started when my old life ended. It wasn’t a very good one.” He looked down for a moment, lost in memories of that past. “Don’t get me wrong, it was nice. I had everything. Money, power, popularity, family… I loved it for so long because all the luxury made it easy to become a singer like I dreamed back then. But let’s just say something really bad happened and I went a bit mad‒.” He paused, somewhat lost in the sea of his long locked up memories.

“You don’t have to tell me if it’s too personal,” Minseok told him, regretting his question but Jongdae just laughed.

“Nah, I’ve already started. I didn’t speak or sleep for some time, so I drew what I saw around me and all the masks people wore made me go even crazier because I wanted to see the real colours of the world. So, one day, I went to my parents’ company and screamed at everyone. I told them that I hated them and everything they represented and that I would never, _ ever _ , become like them. That day, I moved out and drove until I ran out of gas, that– well, that’s how I found this old town. I stayed because I liked the colours.” He explained while playing with his glass of wine before drinking what was left inside. “My turn. Tell me one secret.” Jongdae has mischief written on his smile but Minseok could see how uneasy he felt by the way he cleaned his hand on his jeans while changing the subject.

“Hmm…” Minseok stopped for a moment, wanting to tell him something real in return. He saw how the other was busy playing with his napkin and decided to be brutally honest. “You will probably think less of me for this but, some years ago, I had two best friends. They were truly in love with each other. I- I was jealous and afraid that I would end up being forgotten by them so I did something bad… really bad. We all went out one day and drank too much. I slept with one of them and the other caught us. They weren’t together back then but I know I kind of broke them apart that day.”

“Wow,” Jongdae looked at him, but Minseok couldn’t meet his eyes, “that is different. Are they together now?”

“I think so, I cut myself from the picture after that and I only see them from time to time. I’m sorry if I ruined your image of me.”Minseok kept his head down, lips pressed in a thin line. He wanted to get away, skip the part in which the youngest would judge him and leave.

“You know what? Let’s go out, the night is still young.”

Minseok heard him but didn’t leave his seat, too afraid to meet the younger’s eyes. Jongdae was everything he hasn’t been in a very long time, how could he look at him after admitting just how bad of a person he could be? He couldn’t.

“Minseok,” Jongdae called before grabbing his hand, “I’m going to give you some advice. We are all just simple human beings who can’t tell apart the good from the bad, sometimes. That doesn’t make you a monster. It just makes you a simple human that will make mistakes and break, sometimes. Now get up, I still have things to show you. Besides, you agreed to show me your colours, I’m greedy now.”

Minseok thought that Jongdae would pull him or wait for a reaction but the boy just put something on the table and left instead. Minseok looked at the table, confused, and saw a small white camellia made with a napkin. He knew a little of the language of flowers but that couldn’t be right. A white camellia meant perfect beauty. The artist probably didn’t know that.

_ In that moment, the second mistake of the night was made. _

He put the flower in his wallet– the flower that the artist made exclusively for him– before running after the younger. And he can say that he truly felt happy while doing so.  


**_00:49  
_ **

Maybe someone else would have taken a step back after hearing Minseok’s story, however Jongdae couldn’t find it in himself to judge him. After all he hadn’t told Minseok the entire truth about himself. Maybe if he did, the older would have known that he wasn’t the only one who had made bad decisions in the past. But tonight wasn’t about him. 

That thought made him hold Minseok’s hand a bit tighter while he guided him through the woods to show him his favourite hideout. An old factory, long forgotten and worn by time, that was known as the heart of the community of the young and wild. The place where they could be themselves for a night and express their art on its empty walls. A place of art, and one he really wanted to share with the older. A smile grew on Jongdae’s face as he imagined the way Minseok’s eyes would probably shine.

“Jongdae,” Minseok called, “are you sure that we aren’t lost?” 

“I’m sure, we’re almost there,” he whispered, knowing perfectly well how bad things could go if someone heard them and reported to the police about strange noises in the woods.

It didn’t take long before they finally saw lights through the bushes.

Confused, Minseok stepped in their direction, noticing the lights were actually just flashlights put on the floor in an old building. What made him even more confused was seeing the space full of groups of young people scattered around laughing. That fascinated him. The way they were so carefree, some drawing what could only be called a masterpiece into old walls, others with instruments playing and softly singing along to songs probably made by them. So much talent and passion hidden deep into the woods where only the moon was their witness and judge, and they were happy…

“A hideout,” Jongdae murmured, close to his ear, “our hideout. Sometimes we have problems with the police but we always come back home.”

“Home?”

“Yes, home. Where no one judges anyone else and everyone has a place to be themselves. No questions asked.”

“That… that is amazing.” Minseok whispered, looking with fascination at the groups around them. “Do you know all of them?”

“Nope. Some are acquaintances, others I know from college, but most of them are just lost boys and girls looking for a friend who won’t ask the wrong questions.” 

“Chen!” Someone called him from a group close to them. “I thought you weren’t coming today because of that exam tomorrow.”

“Not even that hell would stop me from blessing you all with my presence.” Jongdae laughed, pulling Minseok with him to the group without letting go of his hand. “Sehun, this is Minseok, he came to see our little piece of heaven. Minseok, this is Sehun, probably the best sculptor of this century.”

“You can kiss my ass all you want. I’m not teaming up with you for iconography,” Sehun laughed while rolling his eyes.

“It was worth a try, let’s go Min. We have art to make, so excuse us guys.” Jongdae said his goodbyes. “I’m taking this, by the way.” Jongdae grabbed a bag and guided Minseok through the groups across the factory.

The older wasn’t too sure. He was surrounded by so many talented people, there was no way he was about to embarrass himself‒ then he saw the way Jongdae smiled at him while telling him who was who and who made what. That smile could surely stop the world from spinning if necessary. It definitely stopped his world and he was scared for a moment because he knew that he would do anything to keep the younger smiling.

So, he allowed himself to be guided to an empty wall by the younger and only smiled when Jongdae told him that he would draw something, all while pulling cans of spray paint out of the bag. Minseok just stood and watched in silence, excited to see Jongdae paint for the first time. 

Jongdae was beautiful in every way. Especially when he was doing what he loved. Minseok could see it in his eyes, in the way they shone like a million stars. Even when he cutely furrowed his eyebrows while adding little details, or when he messily got paint on his hair while brushing it out of his face with his graffiti painted hand. And his smile. His smile that just stayed stuck on his face. That was the first time Minseok really stopped and looked at him as another man and not just a silly boy. If Minseok was to be honest, even in the middle of a thousand masterpieces, he stood out.

All too soon, he was pulled from his thoughts by the smiling man himself. 

“Liking the view?” Jongdae laughed. “Come here, I want you to colour it.” He softly pulled Minseok over until they were standing close to each other.

“I… I can’t! I will ruin it!” he murmured, suddenly feeling a bit too aware of how close they were. 

“Trust me. And don’t worry, I could remake it with my eyes closed,” Jongdae smiled, shifting his gaze to his work.

The proud way the younger was smiling made him look back at the wall, this time to admire the art and not the artist. Oh, and how he fell in that moment… Those were his eyes looking back at him, surrounded by small, little violets and tulips. A simple drawing, but so beautiful. And it was truly amazing how that boy– no– man that only met him that day could capture so well what was, supposedly, the window to his soul. How he was capable of making his heart race and his mind wish for a life in this small town.

And for a few seconds, he could see that life. Being a regular at the coffee shop every morning before work, eating not-that-good pizza every Friday night, coming to the hideout every night possible… and Jongdae. Minseok could see him in this life; from good morning smiles to kisses before bed, unexpected dates, and his laughter filling the kitchen while telling him all the stories of his day. A life so simple and full of colour where time wouldn’t matter because every second would be precious.

“Tulips are declarations while violets can mean honesty and to take a chance…” Minseok trailed off, frozen in the moment.

“I know. You should paint the tulips yellow and the violets in white. I think those colours fit you,” Jongdae smiled, waiting for the moment the older would see what he meant. “Do you like it?”

“I love it… and I think there is sunshine in your smile too,” he whispered, looking down at his hands, too embarrassed to look the younger in the eyes. 

“Are you going to paint it or not?” Jongdae said, laughing, while spraying a blue can in his direction.

“Stop it!” Minseok laughed, taking the yellow can in his hands. “I’m older, respect me!” Minseok sprayed back, laughing at Jongdae’s whine.

Jongdae wasn’t the type to waste paint but Minseok’s laughter would be enough to make him throw away every art material in his possession if it meant that he could hear it all the time. He really liked this Minseok; he one laughing and running after him with a can of yellow spray-paint because he wanted revenge for his now very blue hair and clothes, the one who didn’t think about appearances and just had fun. The young artist really had seen through him, noticing every little colour‒ from the heavy blue in his eyes, to the childish yellow of his heart, and even the little spot of pure white in his heart. He loved them all to the point of wanting to break them in half just to see what else would be hidden in their shadows and how many more layers the older had.

That was Jongdae’s fatal mistake. 

Every new layer made him fall deeper into something he didn’t recognize until it was too late. He had drawn Minseok’s eyes, without even thinking about it. He had just followed his heart.

They stopped after a while, stuck holding each other’s arms so the other couldn’t spray each other. And when their eyes met, the laughter stopped because in that moment there was neither a time limit nor a supposedly fake name between them. Just two young souls begging for an eternal night while tangled in how impossible a simple life could be. 

“Enough.” Jongdae said, letting go of his spray can but not Minseok’s wrist. “Are you happy? I look like a Simpson character.”

“Not my fault, and I look like a Smurf!” He said giving the youngest his best pout.

“Don’t do that,” Jongdae asked, tracing his lips softly with his free hand.  _ You are playing with fire darling, _ he thought and shifted his gaze to the window in a weak attempt to forget Minseok’s lips. But something outside grabbed his attention. “Shit. Shit… Stay here!” 

Minseok stood there, watching Jongdae run out of the building until he finally felt like he could breathe again. Yes, he was confused as to why he was left alone, but first he really needed a moment to breathe. He lifted a hand to his lips, still feeling the ghostly touch of Jongdae’s fingers on them, reliving the moment again and again.

Until he realized something. Jongdae was fine until he looked at the window. Had he seen something? He started making his way to the window.

“Minseok!” A worried voice called him before he felt a warm hand pulling him to the other’s chest.

“Wh-” His question was interrupted by the younger’s hand covering his mouth. Jongdae didn’t say a thing, holding him impossibly close, while stopping him from making any possible noise. He could feel his heart beating rapidly. Something wasn’t right. 

“Authorization to enter. Take them all in.” A voice called from the outside. Police… 

Fear was somewhat of an old friend of Jongdae’s. He didn’t really fear anything in his new life, but in that moment he was truly scared. Not for himself, God knows how many times he had been caught here before; he knew his family name would always allow him to walk away a few hours later, but this time was different. Minseok would not spend the night in a police department jail just because of him, he wouldn’t accept that as the ending for their night.

He signalled to Minseok, telling him to be quiet. They were the last two in this side of the building. Jongdae had made sure of that. They needed to use the current moment of confusion to make their escape through the window and make a run for it.

“Do you trust me?” He whispered, smiling a little when Minseok nodded confidently. “When I say ‘go’, jump out of the window and run. Don’t stop and don’t look behind you. I will catch up to you. I promise.”

Minseok was conflicted. His life would be ruined if he was caught there, at the same time, he also didn’t want to abandon Jongdae. But he nodded again, making a run for it when he heard Jongdae whispering a quiet ‘go’ by his ear. He fell hard on the grass below the window, but he didn’t stop running. Jongdae told him not to stop. Minseok really wanted to stop, to look behind him for any sign of Jongdae. But he knew why Jongdae told him not to, if he stopped, he would hope for a sign, he would search for him, maybe even feel; the need to go look for him, and risk being caught. Minseok shook his head, clearing his thoughts Jongdae would find him. He was a troublemaker, he wouldn’t be caught in his own playground. If he was… Well, then Minseok would happily kick his ass when he saw him again because he still has a lot to tell him and they only had a couple of hours left.

After a few minutes he stopped, took a breath, and finally looked back.

“Minseok, what the hell are you doing?!” The artist asked him, appearing from the middle of some bushes. “Move your damn ass, they are on my tail” Jongdae grabbed his wrist, pulling him to keep running. Minseok could only laugh, happily running along with him, even if his lungs were begging for a damn break.

Neither of them knew how long they ran but when they stopped, the sun was already rising. Minseok grabbed Jongdae’s hand tightly while they walked hand in hand in the middle of the empty streets, both so tired, in need of a bath, and missing their beds. However, neither of them wanted that night to end. They walked slowly, trying to extend their time with each other, chasing the silence away by filling it with random questions and jokes.

“Only child?”

“Nope, I have a sister. Your favourite memory?”

“Tonight” Jongdae smiled, looking at Minseok before continuing. “Favourite place.”

“You will think I’m lying, but I adore this city.” He said brushing shoulders with Jongdae. “Biggest regret.”

“My biggest regret is too heavy for this moment, so I will say that my biggest regret is not knowing your real name.”

“I already gave it to you. Minseok is my real name, but it’s not the name I go by‒ and that name is something I will not give you. I want you to remember Minseok, not who I am outside of what happened tonight.”

“The ‘you’ I see in front of me is the same as anywhere else, just like how the grumpy guy at the coffee shop was still you but I won’t force you to tell me,”  he faced Minseok, curiosity visible in his eyes, “I let you give me your name‒ any name at all‒ and I won't complain since it's also your right to hide it, but my question is… why?”

“Because I’m everything you rejected when you came to this place,” Minseok avoided his eyes, “and I don’t want to be the bridge that takes you back. So let me ask you too, why me?”

“I told you already. I fall for the colour inside of the person, not the person themself. That explains my terrible dating history, there are very few people I want to stay with after seeing their true colours‒ only a handful actually but you...” he trailed off and looked at the horizon seemingly lost in his thoughts, “but you are different, I see in you so much self-hate; just like I had in myself a few years back. And I don’t believe in luck, I believe we were meant to meet at some point.” He said softly while sitting down on a small brick fence. “Do you think this was pure luck?”

“No. I think this is a sick joke from fate,” Minseok laughed, standing between the other’s legs, “if we had met three years ago life would be different for me. I would have followed you to this town if I was with you back then, you know?”

“Three years ago I wouldn’t have looked at you twice... I would have bought you drinks, just to take you to some five star hotel room, and have a hell of a night. Because it was easy and I would have been able to easily escape before the sun even rose, maybe leaving behind some breakfast or a ‘had fun’ note.” Jongdae whispered, pulling Minseok to his lap for a moment before hugging his waist. “A bittersweet night is way better than a few hours of lust. So please, don’t think about the ‘what ifs’. We had a very good night.” He snuggled him closer as he spoke, words softly whispered only to him that made him rest his head on his neck trying to breath him in. 

“An excellent night that soon will be just another dream from which we will have to wake up,” Minseok’s heavy tone showed his worries.

“It isn’t done yet and this is different from a dream‒ we will remember it. The warm, the butterflies, the pain of letting go.” He paused, eyes glancing at the sky, ”I mean, the sun is rising and I still want to hold you in my arms and show you all the colours of the sky, even if I know that I’m not meant to have you again.” He whispered, placing his hand on the older’s cheek. “And even if I know that, I will still paint flowers for you and find traces of you in my paintings.”

“Jongdae… You really are a stone in my shoe, giving me more pain than I need.”

“Well, don’t be so nice to me, I just kinda made a declaration of something but sure, call me a stone in your shoe,” he laughed, while the older got up with a little smile.

“Jongdae,” he called again, looking at the sun, “make those flowers reach me… help them guide me home…” He whispered, looking one last time to the younger before placing a soft, pure kiss on his kitten lips. Something so small that one might believe it was imagination, but it was more than enough. “Take care, my sweet serendipity.”

The younger didn’t make a move to follow him, or stop him, watching him with a small smile.  _ I accept it. I’m going to find you again, _ he promised himself, staying seated for a moment, waiting for the time to pass before he could go to the coffee shop. He needed to talk with Junmyeon about new horizons, he was sure that his boss would love the idea of expanding the business.

One would think he was crazy, just ready to give up the life he had made for himself for someone he just met. But that was the beauty of allowing oneself to fall. Love, anger, happiness, and even sadness were all beautiful feelings but sometimes people got stuck in the memories of those feelings. Jongdae was sure he didn’t hate his parents or their life. He hates the memories of them. Three years is a hell of a time. Life changed and so had he. Being stuck in memories wasn’t an option when he had held something better in his hand that night. 

Maybe he lost his head, but Minseok came to him like a lost kitten in a storm. He couldn’t let him go. Even if someone else came to him, his perfect half, promising love and a happily ever after… he would still run after his kitten, because Jongdae needed him just as much as he needed Jongdae. No soulmate could replace that. Minseok was the love he fell into before realizing love was even an option.

Now he had a grumpy kitten to find in a sea of people. And he would wait for however long it took to do it.


	2. Epilogue

“For the love of god, Chen! Pay attention before I beat your ass.” Murmured Junmyeon as Chen admired the mural of their new shop. “You can’t just lay around admiring your work for the whole day.” 

He was right. Today, they were finally opening one of their coffee shops in the big city. Everything needed to be perfect. If anything went wrong, all their work and investment for the last two years would be for nothing. Jongdae had too much to lose.

“You know, my art is a signature. You should be happy that I’m happy with the mural,” Jongdae replied while he helped the older carry some boxes to the counter.

“I am happy that you are confident in your work,” he said looking at the younger, “but are you sure about this? Two years is a damn long time. He may not remember you.”

_ Does it really matter? _ He thought as he observed the walls of the coffee shop, now covered in beautiful wild pansies of many colours that gave the place a feeling of lightness and  _ home… _ He had spent so many hours planning for this place. And so many more making the designs of the cups, flyers, and decoration on the tables. Every sleepless night brought him a little bit closer to the possibility that one of those flowers would find their way to Minseok.

But he knew how his friends and his now business partner saw him. They looked at him like he had gone nuts, holding on to the words of a stranger who would very likely not even remember his name. He was chasing the ghost of a memory of someone, a spirit that haunted him with the words of a challenge… Yes, he would do his part and keep running.

“Could one of you assholes come and help us? I don’t even work for you!” Baek screamed as he walked into the store carrying more boxes.

“Stop complaining, you asked to come. I didn’t even want you here!”

“Love me less Chen-Chen, I knew how much you would miss me. And besides, you wouldn’t make it one day in the big city without me!”

“You are confusing me with your puppy of a boyfriend. He is the one with masochistic tendencies.”

“I already miss the silence,” complained Junmyeon.

The sound of laughter filled the air and for Jongdae, those sounds made him feel once again at home. In fact, his heart grew warmer every time he saw his friends there with him, reminding him of the moment they all decided to follow him into the capital.

_ “Slow down!” Junmyeon exclaimed. “You want to open another store in the capital?!” Jongdae nods, “and within the month just to find that boy from two years ago?” His voice a tad bit higher than usual. _

_ “Yes!” _

_ “He’s gone crazy,” murmured Chanyeol to his boss, looking at him like he had grown another head. _

_ “I always told you, love. Abstinence drives a man crazy and he was already a bit crazy…” _

_ “Not now, Baek,” Suho said while crossing his arms. _

_ “No, Suho, I am going to talk! Chen-Chen… are you sane?” He asked making his way towards him. “How do you expect us to organize everything in a month? You should have told us sooner! I don’t have enough travel bags, Chanyeol’s sister is visiting in a week and Suho... Well, I’m sure moving seven cats can’t be easy!” _

_ “Wait, but…” Jongdae murmured, confused by his friend. He didn’t expect them to go with him. _

_ “Do you really think we would let you go alone to Seoul when we know why you left in the first place? Spare me,” Baekhyun shushed his friend, “and we would miss you too much…” _

_ “I needed a reason to go visit Sehun anyway. So sure, why not.” Junmyeon smiled at him and shrugged. _

Never once had he thought that Baekhyun would be the first to follow him. He had been the one calling him crazy since the beginning, but at the same time Jongdae didn’t expect any different from him, his best friend was the ride or die type of person and he loves him for that.

“Chen… Do you think your parents know you’re in town?”

“I’m pretty sure they do, Chanyeol. They called me yesterday asking me to meet them in a few hours at their agency. They must want to be sure that I’m going to use the name Kim Jongdae.”

Jongdae sure as hell didn’t want to; he gave up the right when he left home, using his name would be associating himself with his parents again and that wasn’t something he would ever do again. He became Chen for that reason.

✾❀

Being tired was something familiar to Minseok. After all, not even a single minute in his life belonged to him. He woke up because someone told him to just to have someone else tell him what to eat, when to eat, and what to wear. Even his underwear was decided for him at some point. He never fell asleep in a photoshoot before, this was a first, although who could judge him when his last free day was two years ago?

“I’m going crazy, Yixing.” He whispered to his assistant and friend. “They are going to kill me for falling asleep.” His brows furrowed in concern.

“Maybe it is for the best. If you’re crazy, they can’t make you work,” Yixing said, laughing.

“Don’t laugh at me! It was irresponsible!”

“You are human Minseok. Even when you are Xiumin, you’re still just human. They will get it!” he said, guiding them through the building’s corridors.

“Of course they will. They’ll just give me some lovely speech about my image and ask for the new lyrics that I want to put in my album just so they can reject them for being– and I quote– ‘incompatible with my image.’”

“Uhhh…” The boy looked around, hoping to find some distraction for the older. He noticed a familiar face at the hall of the building and pulled Minseok in that direction. “Jongin! Hi, good to see you! I was just telling Minseok how he should ask for some time off.”

“After the incident of the photos? I’m sorry, but no way. Once, Kyungsoo skipped an interview because of a fever and they gave him a full schedule for a month!”

“Thanks for nothing dude.” Yixing sighed, looking at a defeated Minseok.

“I’m not a liar, Yixing,” Jongin said, “but if it helps, I heard they are opening a coffee shop close by. We can go there tomorrow! That way you can drown yourself in caffeine and sugar!”

The oldest just smiled at the dancer. Having Jongin and Kyungsoo back in his life gave him some type of peace and lightness to his days. Their friendship was the first thing he fixed after coming back from that town years ago. Sometimes, though, they were a reminder of the young artist he left behind, and that filled him with sadness.

“Yes, that is a great idea. I really need some sugar,” he sighed, exhaustion coating his words. 

“Xiu, I was looking for you,” Kyungsoo called to him, “if I were you, I would get my ass to the CEO’s office as fast as possible. They’re in a really bad mood.”

“My day just keeps getting better and better.” Minseok rolled his eyes, giving his friend a weak smile when he felt Kyungsoo’s hand patting his shoulder. “I know, a breath at a time and everything is going to be fine.”

“You got it,” Kyungsoo smiled.

With a wave of a hand, he said goodbye to his friends– and probably to his life– making his way to the elevator so he could see his superiors. 

Their CEOs were a couple in their fifties and they were already difficult enough to deal with when in a good mood, much less in a bad mood. But that rarely happened. Every employee knew that only one thing left their bosses in such a bad mood: their son. The story is that he rejected the family business and their name after some accident. Minseok barely remembers seeing him in the building five years ago. He was a skinny guy, not much different from the thousands of other trainees but the rumours said that he had the voice of an angel. A true loss to the business, and an eternal thorn in their bosses’ sides.

Xiumin was leaving the elevator after arriving at the correct floor when he heard a voice that made him stop.

“Twenty-seven years and I still need the secretary’s permission to see my parents. Some things never change, don’t they Jiwoon?”

“Please, Jongdae, understand that they have a lot of work to do.”

“And I have what? Hobbies? I’m losing working hours here.” Jongdae sighed. “I’m sorry Jiwoon but it looks like they haven’t changed at all in these past five years.””

Minseok wanted to leave. Just leave and call Yixing to ask him to reschedule another hour to meet with his bosses but his legs didn’t have the strength to move. He hadn’t heard that voice for two years and god knows he had dreamed about seeing him again for so many times, but he was finding out things the other didn’t want him to know. He really should leave.

“Jongdae, long time no see. My son,” called Haewon’s voice in a sweet tone, “you have grown…”

“In five years, people are bound to have grown at least a bit,” he said in a cynical tone.

“Please, don’t talk like that to your mother– we are still your parents,” his father chided.

“Don’t, father- I’m here because you asked and because I’m sure this is about business. If you wished for a family reunion, then maybe we should have met at the cemetery.”

For a moment Xiumin wondered if this was really his Jongdae. That night he saw many sides of the young artist but none of them were as cold and poisonous as he was right now. The Jongdae he knew had a sweet voice, a pure heart, and a smile that put the sun to shame. Was it possible for him to carry so much anger inside of him? Probably. Love and hate are sister emotions, the line that separates them is thin. Jongdae probably loved his parents very much at some point. Maybe he still did. It just fell into the wrong side of the line.

“Jongdae, please,” she asked, in an attempt to reach her son’s heart, “we really just wanted to see you. We already lost one son.”

“I know, and I’m sorry for my part in that,” he said, sounding almost broken, “but if you want to talk, don’t drag me here. Just come to the coffee shop someday. This part of my life is over and I don’t wish to relive it or to see the people that were once part of it… See you another time mom, dad. Take care Jiwoon.”

He could hear the steps of the artist moving in his direction. That made something in him freeze once again so he just closed his eyes. Until he heard his name being called by his boss who had probably come after his son. Slowly, he opened his eyes, carefully looking at the face in front of him. Jongdae was there looking at him with a tired smile and shining eyes.

“Of course, you would be here.” He laughed for a moment, his disbelief showing as he slowly moved closer. “Found you, Minseok,” his name sounded so sweet leaving Jongdae’s lips that he didn’t notice how the younger had grabbed his hand. 

“Now I get to keep you!”

That was his only warning before the youngest started running to the stairs, pulling him with him. In any other moment he would complain, leaving behind his responsibilities wasn’t his thing but not now. So he laughed, grabbing Jongdae’s hand like it was his life line, because he had promised himself that if he ever found Jongdae again, he would follow him to the end of the world as long as that was his wish. 

Jongdae was his  _ protea _ . Leaving him again would never be an option. 


End file.
